It’s Dobbs last night on CNN as employee, but not as subject of controversy

Tonight is Lou Dobbs’ last night on CNN as a cable news host. One of television’s most anti-immigrant, anti-Latino broadcasters says he’s considering “a number of options and directions” after reportedly being let out of his contract, which would have ended in 2011.

Whether a national campaign, Basta Dobbs, waged by Latino viewers, had anything to do with his departure from the Cable News Network is not known. Whether CNN wanted to rid itself of what had become an embarrassing representative also is not known. But that CNN was growing uncomfortable with Dobbs on the air seemed obvious, especially since its spokespersons could respond to questions about Dobbs only by saying the network would not respond. The silence didn’t sound anything like support for one of its prime-time anchors.

“He has evolved over the years from a straight-laced business anchor to an outspoken commentator who rails against illegal immigration and taxpayer bailouts, among other subjects,” a story in The New York Times said. “Lately, though, he has saved most of his opinions for his afternoon radio show, which made its debut in March 2008. It is on the radio show that he talked repeatedly about the conspiracy theory claims that President Obama is not a United States citizen. When he mentioned the citizenship issue on CNN over the summer, his bosses were forced to call it a ‘dead issue.’ ”

But CNN gave airtime to some of Dobbs’ outrageous claims, too, including some about immigrants and leprosy, birthers and illegal immigration costs. A recent charge by Dobbs that his house was shot at, perhaps by opponents of his views, was among the worst of many cheap shots aimed at people who disagree with his harsh views.

(Spin cycle: The Times said he told viewers CNN had agreed to release him from his contract early.)

“Well known for his political positions, Mr. Dobbs is an outlier at CNN, which has sought to position itself as a middle ground of sorts in the fractious cable news arena,” the Times story said.

It also reported that Dobbs met with FOX News chairman Roger Ailes in September. But a FOX spokesperson said, “We have not had any discussions with Lou Dobbs for Fox News or Fox Business.”

Tonight may be Dobbs’ last night on CNN as an employee, but it’s probably not the last as a subject of controversy.